'Operation Legend' drug dealer apologizes for crimes, gets 5-year prison term
A man who federal prosecutors say was involved in an elaborate 2020 marijuana trafficking operation that stretched from California to Wisconsin will spend the next five years in prison.
Miguel Sarabia sat expressionless as U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller read the sentence. Sarabia apologized to the court, his family and "everyone I hurt."
"I made a huge mistake, and now everyone has to pay for it. My family. My kids," Sarabia said.
He also will spend four years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.
Sarabia appeared in federal court Thursday via Zoom as one of the remaining defendants in the case.
The judge endorsed the request for a voluntary surrender date on or after Monday, Oct. 16. The sentence will be carried out at Terminal Island Federal Correction Institution located in California.
Prosecutors said the Louis Rey Perez III organization received more than a ton of pot, edibles and THC oil for vaping cartridges that were usually delivered by FedEx, UPS and DHL. More than two dozen people were arrested around Milwaukee and in California as part of the federal government's larger effort, dubbed Operation Legend, to take down drug trafficking rings operating around the country.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail Hoffman said Sarabia's role in the organization was to source the edibles and oils. He also obtained the cartridges from overseas, which were then sent to Milwaukee.
Sarabia purchased a commercial building and adjacent land in Madison to become a wholesale distributor in anticipation of marijuana becoming legal in Wisconsin.
Sarabia also laundered millions of dollars through his numerous businesses in California, according to court documents.
Stadtmueller discussed the negative impact of drugs and gang violence.
He stated that every hour, there are roughly 12 overdose deaths in the United States. There were 100,306 drug overdose deaths nationwide during a 12-month period ending in April 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Operation Legend' drug dealer sentenced to 5 years
